The France Nations League campaign is off to a blistering start. The team’s first four games under Zinedine Zidane have gone swimmingly, winning 10 points, scoring seven and conceding a mere two.
With painful memories of the World Cup still lurking around, the team have been quick to dispel early doubts. But does he promise anything different to the previous manager?
Modern, Attacking Football: Why Zidane’s Approach Differs from Deschamps
The international break was the first time France played under Zinedine Zidane. Within the first game itself, Zidane made it clear that his team would play on the front foot. He set up with an attacking midfield three of Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot and Rayan Cherki, with the usual suspects plying their trade up-top as the France Nations League campaign went underway.
Under Deschamps, we were used to seeing the French team allow the opposition to play their football. The team would sit back and absorb pressure, leveraging their superior individual quality to win games.
However, choosing the right profiles becomes paramount in this setup. All of us remember how impressive France looked against Morocco, commanding nearly two-thirds of the ball and playing them off the park in the WC quarter-finals.
However, nearly the same French team looked utterly out of ideas against Spain. Deschamps replaced Kone with Tchouameni for the semi-finals, naturally ceding more possession, downing the intensity and allowing Spain more space to toy with.
The tactical switch became one of the more important reasons for France’s World Cup loss, with the outright favourites unable to overcome the dogged Spanish opposition.
A Drastic Change: Understanding Zidane’s Tactical Approach
For fans waiting to see what the French team would look like post-Deschamps, the France Nations League campaign has proved a treat so far. Zidane was not a fan of Deschamps’ passive brand of football.
In this role, we can see him evolve tactically compared to his Real Madrid tenure, ultimately benefiting from the slow pace of international football.
‘Keep the Ball!’: Implementing a Holistic Football Philosophy
France under Deschamps was overflowing with talent. However, apart from staying together as a defensive unit and running ahead when needed, they didn’t have any other instruction to rely on. Naturally, despite having the right players, the team looked incredibly weary at times – either racing ahead to win games or collapsing entirely.
Zidane’s foremost objective is clear: to keep the ball and dominate the opposition. Across the four games of the France Nations League campaign, the team averaged nearly 63% of the ball against the likes of Turkey, Italy and Belgium (twice).
Players are instructed to move around plenty, with likes of Cherki and Rabiot often getting into advanced attacking areas while falling back on other occasions to provide defensive cover or build attacks. Players operate freely without coercive tactical instruction, aiming to make connections on the pitch nudged by his setup.
Eventually, it has enabled free-flowing attacking football during the first four rounds of the France Nations League campaign. But how does it compare with Zidane’s previous work?
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Early Comparisons With Zidane’s Real Madrid Setup
In Madrid, Zidane had a more conservative approach. His go-to midfield was Casemiro, Modric and Kroos, with the Brazilian operating simply as a destroyer. However, perhaps seeing the same names appear on the teamsheet was unnerving as a Frenchman.
In the Zidane era, everyone plays – and some interesting names have popped up from his first international break coaching the Les Bleus.
The Shining Stars: Which Players Lit up The Start of the France Nations League Campaign
Zidane opted for some interesting experiments across every position. From Kylian Mbappé starting only one game to playing a different midfield in every fixture, there was something for everyone to feed off as the Zidane era kicked off in late September.
The Midfield Game: Solving for the World Cup’s Missing Piece
France has a luxury of riches up-top – but the same cannot be said for their midfield. With only a handful of players deployed there in the World Cup, not only did France have a shortage of quality midfielders, but Deschamps did not know his best midfield duo either.
Against Spain, playing Tchouameni in the place of Manu Koné cost the team dearly. To make sure his side do not face this problem, Zidane has blooded some uncommon names into the national team fold during the France Nations League campaign.
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Lucas Da Cunha
Lucas Da Cunha, another beneficiary of the Spanish revolution at Como, has been one of the most important new names under Zidane.
Playing mainly as a defensive midfielder, he provided some much-needed stability at the back while connecting the defence to the advanced-midfield positions. He made an appearance in three out of four games during the start of the France Nations League campaign, chipping in with an assist against Belgium.
Andy Diouf
Inter Milan’s Andy Diouf played a notable role as a fullback under Zidane. The Frenchman typically plays as a right wingback for Inter Milan, but Zidane looked eager to include him in the team.
His physical prowess and a strong left foot helped the team create chances and defend well from the left-hand side, adding some much-needed steel to Zidane’s liquid football.
Leny Yoro
Manchester United’s prized buy, Leny Yoro, was one of the unexpected call-ups this time around. Struggling for game time at the club, he performed well against a crafty Belgian side, delivering a defensive masterclass.
Eduardo Camavinga
France’s forgotten No.6 joined the national team fold again during the France Nations League campaign. Despite offering good stability in possession and adding defensive cover to the team, the sprightly midfielder did not make the team on most occasions earlier. However, Zidane bucked the trend, including a talented midfielder to add more legs and flair in midfield.
Extra Time Notes
By picking some talented players who delivered good performances as the France Nations League campaign went underway, Zidane has already left a stamp on the national team setup.
While Deschamps had a widely successful tenure, he was criticised for playing drab football and sitting back despite the array of talent produced in every position. Zidane is not satisfied with winning football games; instead, he wants to fashion a modern, high-pressing French team that does not let the opposition breathe.
This international break was a small teaser into the Zidane Era. It showed us the team’s tactical evolution under a new manager, preferring to dominate with the ball rather than hurting other teams on the counter. It will certainly be interesting to watch how the rest of the France Nations League campaign turns out, and what trophies lie in store during the Zidane era.
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